Danang aims to attract Russian tourists
The central coastal city of Danang is striving to lure more Russian and European tourists in a bid to diversify international visitors, but it is facing some difficulties with weather conditions and air routes, which should be addressed to meet the target.
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Tourism experts noted that it is necessary to increase the number of Russian and European visitors to Danang City to diversify tourist sources, adding that certain factors, such as weather, may affect these efforts.
Russian tourists tend to travel to Danang City between October and February to avoid freezing weather in their country, but unfortunately, this is also the storm season in the city.
According to Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy general director of Furama Resort Danang, many tour operators had earlier tried arranging tours for Russian tourists to Danang City on chartered flights. “But the city was facing bad weather at the time,” Quynh said, adding that the number of international tourists, mainly Russians, to the city has fallen due to bad weather.
Discussing the weather problem in Danang City, Nguyen Nhu Nam, general director of Vietnam TravelMart, said that the storm season in the city does not last as long as it used to, so tour operators should consider arranging tours for Russian tourists.
“Although the sea water is quite cold in the rainy season, the Russian tourists will find it comfortable,” Nam remarked.
Tran Luc, deputy director of Saigontourist’s Danang branch, proposed opening direct air routes connecting the city with Russia to increase the number of Russian tourists during the peak travel season or even in the off season. Currently, there are direct air routes from Asian countries to Danang City.
“As few Russian tourists travel in the off season, the city should offer incentive programs to encourage them to visit Danang City,” Luc said.
“Danang City should present solutions to attract international tourists from other potential markets, such as India and Australia,” noted Nguyen Ngoc Anh, director of Omega Tours.
Data from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam shows that the number of international tourists to Vietnam reached eight million in the first six months of this year, up by 27.2% year-on-year. Of this, the number of European visitors accounted for 1.1 million, rising by 11% year-on-year, with 350,000 Russian travelers.
Danang City has attracted international tourists from 13 major source markets - the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, the United States, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, France and Hong Kong. Statistics indicate that the city welcomed 1.6 million foreign tourists during the first half of 2018, double the number in the same period last year.
